Bulldogs & bladder stones

[Hidapriscila]

So my neighbor is a vet tech and she thought she saw blood when my female was urinating yesterday. She flipped her over & poked at her girly parts and low & behold a giant bladder stone popped out onto Lily's belly. After I recovered from the quick molestation of my poor bully baby, I was flipped out. She's been on meds for bladder infections in January and the beginning of February, they seemed to be gone, but now there are stones, so obviously things are not fixed.

I thought I had read that some of you had bladder issues that cleared up with a food change (not prescription). I know we have to take her to the vet, but I'd like to hear the alternatives to the surgery this vet is likely going to put forth. We currently are on Blue Buffalo Salmon & Potato which we switched to because our male has poultry allergies. Any thoughts? Neither of them have exactly thrived on this food and Lily did much better on the old food. She doesn't really even like it (doesn't eat til she's starving, skipping meals, etc) and her bladder problems began at the time with the recall of Blue for Vitamin A overdosing or whatever in November/December. One of the side effects of the overdose was kidney calcification. My vet barely listened when I mentioned it.

I'd love to hear your thoughts...
Priscilla

 

[LisaMarie]

I am going through something a bit similar. Mocha has had a couple of Bladder infections( I just posted about a few days ago) The # one thing that was advised to me was to keep her vagina clean after she goes pee and make sure she drinks plenty of water. I do know that female bulldogs drag their lady part when they urinate and it makes sence to wipe them after peeing to avoid bacteria getting in. As for the food I will let someone else answer that because I wasnt aware of a recall of that food. I give Mocha Natural Balance LID and it has worked great with her. Another thing is my vets are not really good. I am always disapointed when i get out of there and I also gfeel they really dont listen. i have gotten in arguments an refuse to administer pills that I that I knew where not in the best intrest of Mocha. I can wait to hear more answers for you!

 

[bullmama]

I am not experienced with stones, but I have heard that they can be caused by too much protein (that is not utilized) in the diet.

The protein levels in the food are low at 22%, (which is good) and was something I was concerned with. How much water does your bully drink? Did your vet discuss running another course of antibiotics?

It would be interesting to know if that is the case with the Blue Buffalo. Was your bag available to you to check to see if you were a part of that recall? I also wonder about the quality of the food now that I am starting to see it advertised everywhere. Usually not a good sign to know that they are probably finding cheaper ingredient sources.

 

[bjsfarm]

I am going to answer without doing research so I may be wrong.... But if my memory serves me correctly bladder stones are common in bulldogs and don't come from an infection. Since it is out, I would not rush to the vet, or change dog food. I would simply keep and eye on her to see if the blood continues or she passes anymore stones.

 

[kazzy220]

I am no help here .... as I have no experience in such things. I was going to tag desertskybulldogs but I see she's already answered, and the other name I would suggest as far as food and the connection to medical issues would be [MENTION=4]Lindathedogsmaid[/MENTION].

Sorry I can't be of more help ...

 

[cadillactaste]

I knew someone who had a bulldog with bladder stones...There is a food for such problems. I know her dog had to have surgery though...Just sent her a PM through Facebook. When I hear back...I'll let you know more.

 

[cadillactaste]

Okay...so my friend contacted me about her experience with bladder stones.

we didnt correct anything, he had surgery to remove the stones.
BUT, since the surgery we have had him on the prescription food and yes we give him distilled water. This was the 2nd time he had surgery for this problem....first time was before we got him.

So they weren't able to correct it without surgery...but so far they've prevented more as of to date.

 

[Hidapriscila]

She is very obviously feeling better after passing the stone. We're waiting to see at the moment. We always have tons of water available to her, but we discussed the diet connection with our trainer (who's a giant golden retriever in people clothes) and he has had other clients who had issues on Salmon foods with bladder problems. We have since switched to a red meat feed that is grain free (Avo-derm). I'm not crazy about it since it has chicken fat as an ingredient and my male is allergic to chicken, but so far, there's been no issues. I'm watching him like a hawk.

Lily, however, will walk over and just lick the bag she's so happy. She's enthusiastic about eating it and never waits to eat now. I know that she needs to go back in to the vet, but we're thinking very seriously about switching to Banfield in Petsmart for their even pay yearly plan. Then when I go through my Munchausen by puppy phase (my husband calls it that when I'm convinced the dogs are sick), I can just take them in and have them looked at to know they're doing well.

I know Banfield has gotten a bad rap in places, but I've heard really good things about our local one. Anyone have stories to share? Anyone tried their year in a box service plan?

Priscilla
Momma to Lily & Humpfrey

 

[Lindathedogsmaid]

Fromm foods but no salmon- and always add fruit and veggies as they dilute the urine of acidity, and that causes crystals/stones, also add broth to daily water, to encourage drinking as Bulldogs never drink enough,(purebred Bulldogs)
and of course NO DRY KIBBLE THAT HAS ORGAN MEAT IN IT --the only way to know that no organ meat is involved is to feed a pet food that guarantees in writing that it has only muscle meat!! like Fromm does.ANY pet food that the vets recommend is not good for Bulldogs-one and all-the only reason they recommend foods is that A -they have very little training in nutrition in college, and the pet food companies kick back money to those colleges for sales of said foods.and B--they believe what they are told by pet food companies--DO WE ????? NOT------

 

[cadillactaste]

Fromm foods but no salmon- and always add fruit and veggies as they dilute the urine of acidity, and that causes crystals/stones, also add broth to daily water, to encourage drinking as Bulldogs never drink enough,(purebred Bulldogs)
and of course NO DRY KIBBLE THAT HAS ORGAN MEAT IN IT --the only way to know that no organ meat is involved is to feed a pet food that guarantees in writing that it has only muscle meat!! like Fromm does.ANY pet food that the vets recommend is not good for Bulldogs-one and all-the only reason they recommend foods is that A -they have very little training in nutrition in college, and the pet food companies kick back money to those colleges for sales of said foods.and B--they believe what they are told by pet food companies--DO WE ????? NOT------

I wouldn't say all food a vet recommends is not good for bulldogs. I would assume each practice is different though. My vet practice all swear by Taste of the Wild. Which is a 5 star rating [going with the lower end of protein variety] We switched vets and dog food. This new vet practice swears by TOTW and we've had great success with it so far. ***knocking on wood. Now the old practice we used to use...had us feeding prescription food.

[MENTION=1859]Hidapriscila[/MENTION]

She is very obviously feeling better after passing the stone

I was under the assumption with talking with my friend...Bladder stones must be operated on...Kidney stones can be passed if small enough. Ahhh here I did a google search...Dogs typically have bladder stones... I would suggest you take a look at the article. For it can cause later life threatening issues in not resolved.

Technically speaking, these stones don't really pose an immediate threat to the overall health of the dog. But if it is left ignored for a long period of time, it may lead to renal failure and pyelonephritis. Pyelonephritis is a type of urinary tract infection that has reached the pelvis and the kidneys.

Some bladder stones can be treated with oral medications. However, if your dog has calcium oxalate stones, drugs will prove to be useless. Calcium oxalate stones cannot be dissolved with any type of medicine. In order to remove them, surgery is necessary.

Bladder Stones Infections In Dogs Symptoms And Treatment

My thoughts on using a vet practice that is connected to a pet store...I always asked myself...WHO THOUGHT OF THIS IDEA!?! People bring puppies that are not fully vaccinated into pet stores...I always worry about PARVO...a friend of mine lost their 2 yr. old dog to Parvo and it was FULLY VACCINATED!!! That is scary stuff...so we no longer take our dogs to pet stores. It's just not worth the risk. But...I always worry too if someone is bringing in an extremely sickly dog...does the store then disinfect well enough to get rid of the illness from their doors to the vet practice that is inside? But again...just my opinion...I've heard nothing either way.

 

[Lindathedogsmaid]

having a bulldog vet --and I repete-a vet that specializes in Bulldogs) will want you to put the dogn prescription food for the rest of its life, NO --food off teh shelves other than the vets office,--HOWEVER- i HAVE MADE THE DOGS FOOD FOR WEEKS until the crystals were gone, but -now stones are a different matter!!! the dog must not eat a calcium from meat, cottage cheese, is the protein of choice, and brown rice, but you will also need to figure out the vitamins, I have a 76 pounder who got 2 tsp a day of liquid children's vitamins, and a calcium tab 500mgs 1 x a day (made from oyster shells) I did this for 2 weeks and got rid of the crystals. but stones are rarely small enough to get rid of with meds. and surgery is spendy-- the way to keep stones from happening is lots of water,with a bit of meat broth in it to encourage drinking. do not forget when you are reading things online--who paid for the research?? and who paid for the article.
and I repeat-- a taste of teh wild is NOT -- a bulldog food- and any vet who recommends it has a monetary reason. you can feed a bulldog any food, and sometimes get away with out it puking it up, but you will be causing silent damage to that dog on the inside, and in about 4 to 6 years we will get that dog into rescue because of the organ,and internal damage that will have been done,and will show up then, and it's for life! chronic life long problems. you need to listen to people who rescue and they will tell you. 99% of the dogs we get surrendered are because of food being fed that is causing the high vet bills down the road. we know what foods have been fed by us all over the years. and every day foods are being improved on , by good companies like Fromm who care about quality not profit.if you would like I can set an example of how many reviews by the truth about pet foods the taste of the wild has had. are a new company just a few years old, and less than 15 or so years is a new company, and they havent had the research done enough to qualify as a great food that is the same at all times over the years. a taste of the wild uses a marketing strategy that makes you think we have wolves as dogs. --dogs have been so out of the wolf state for centuries. and cannot be fed accordingly as such.not to many folks buy into that theory anymore thank god.if you must feed anything besides Fromm, make it Natures variety, it is the next best thing for bulldogs,

 

[cadillactaste]

[MENTION=4]Lindathedogsmaid[/MENTION]

I find it REALLY hard to believe that only two foods are worth feeding...And that you "know" that I'm causing long term damage to my dogs by feeding anything other than those two foods mentioned.

Rescue is a good organization...and I am friends with a few who have started bulldog rescues. And I've NEVER had them tell me my dogs will end up in rescue over damage I'm causing them from the food I'm feeding them. I don't wish to argue but think that is pretty strong statement without having anything to base your opinion on. I do NOT feed my dogs food because I feel they are wolves either.

If it's such a bad dog food...why is it found on the nutritional section as a five star food?

 

[Lindathedogsmaid]

my oppinion is based on 12 years of rescue work and the simple knowledge that -----what may be a 5 star food to some breeds---is not fit for a BULLDOG--they are 180 degrees different than any other breeds, allergies,food,x rays, anesthetics,protocol for surgeries, daily care, heat intolerance, a vet who is Bulldog experienced! many Bulldogs die during surgery because of lack of knowledge.shall I go on??
and again WHO paid for this 5 star rating?? you didn't answer that.English Bulldogs needs are so vastly different than any other breed. because of the need for pre and pro biotics- the pet foods now must get on board if our pets are to digest,increase the immune systems,and utilize the foods properly, and given the light on rendering plants-- and the knowledge that --all but 3 or 4 brands if that get the scraps from the rendering plants.... and knowing how to actually read a ingredient label. and in this day so many of the pet foods are cooked so hot and so long that -yes they digest easier-but are hydrolyzed(meaning it is broken down so much into its amino acids-there is nothing nutritious left, and actually doing harm!!! Fromm tells you how hot and how long, as many others are starting to come on board to state these readings.But that's OK -feed what you like, you will see in a few years--are you willing to subject your dog to someone else s, idea of a good food,not considering the special needs of Bulldogs. you simply cannot compare any breed with Bulldogs needs! I am sorry but that is a fact .I have spent the last 12 years doing research and rescue,and trying to get the information out to Bulldog owners to help them stay out of the vets offices.and have healthy, happy dogs.everything from simple vinegar/water mix 50/50 to squirt into ears weekly so that the dog never has a yest infection again.(if the food is not causing the yeast in the ears, or paw licking,skin bare spots, cysts between toes. )all allergy symptoms.

 

[cadillactaste]

You mention a bulldog vet as to where you get your answers. And I'm not discrediting your comment about their being a breed different than others...yet you discredit them/bulldog knowledgeable vets in your previous post of them wanting to put the dog with stones on specific dog food for this problem...I'm puzzled, now I'm not saying the dog food would be the "best" but if it can prevent more stones then I do not look down my nose at my friend who feeds her dog this particular food to prevent more surgeries with her dog. For multiple surgeries can't be good either...and the food is known to prevent more stones. So I'm sorry I'm in favor of something that prevents dogs from having multiple surgeries...even if it's not the healthiest of foods. One must pick and chose what's important with their dogs health related issues I would think.

I'm not going to argue and if I came across harsh that was not my meaning...but I do plan on doing more research and speaking with other forums to see what they suggest is a healthy bulldog food. I prefer getting my answers from more than one source. No disrespect...but...that's how I operate.

 

[Lindathedogsmaid]

the only thing that I discredited the Bulldog vet s is the food, while it may prevent stones it will cause many other issues, and if A person can make the dog food, that prevents any surgeries,isn't that what you were aiming for? that's why I added that recipe in there. they cannot have meat as a protein.
and by adding ,eat broth to drinking water , you can prevent ever getting stones ,because Bullys do not normally drink enough water. and I am not disrespecting your choices, and applaud your research to date, But it must be Bulldog specific to be applied, and most research just uses the average lab or Shepard. and my vet really wanted to have me put my dog on the special diet to prevent stones too. But I convinced him that I could cook the required diet, with the nessasary vitamins/calcium and do so easily. and I did prove my point in 2 weeks when the crystals were totally gone,even he was surprised. I used to make all my dogs food for quite some time. and I showed him the truth abopout pet foods inside findings on the brand he was suggesting, he agreeedd that it wasn't the healthiest, but better than a $1500.00 surgery, and I agree, however if you choose to feed the best, you make what you cannot buy! and with the preventative measures of ample water , and a bi yearly check for stones, he will be fine, I just stay away from any organ meat in pet foods,(which I do not have to worry about Fromm, because they only use muscle meat(the cuts you and I buy)and to stay away from high mineral proteins such as salmon. which is great for dogs not creating stones.it is often a genetic problem as in my dogs case, ( you can do a test to see if the organs are working properly)and if so it is genetic.
no as to the few brands that we have been in the past feeding Bulldogs. the have not gotten on board with the guaranteed pre and pro biotics, like Fromm has,and or guaranteed it in writing. one other in California, called great 4 life also puts the guarantee in writing. but those are the only two in the US and Canada.I talk to manufactures weekly as a consultant for the truth about pet foods , and you can quickly get the drift when a company clams up about some of the technical issues, or wont even tell you if they have a protocol for a bad batch of food and a owner filing a complaint.we are trying to set up a system wher by a owner can call a company , with a complaint and the company gets the checks done with an independant testing lab to check for stated issues, then do a recall on that lot of food, severl companies are onboard all ready, Fromm being one of them.who will also call the pet owners who purchased the food , (they use register and Id statements to track customers for just this kind of thing.) but please enjoy your Bulldog, and if you feed the best, and wash face.bottom,and paws daily,bath bi weekly,(even a simple baby shampoo is PH corectly for dogs) you should have a happy healthy dog.